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Reservations - All our holidays are tailor-made so please feel free to request any combination of hotels, riads or tours for your own holiday. The minimum reservation for our accommodation only service is 3 nights in total, although not necessarily at same property. Simply contact us by phone or email or complete one of our enquiry forms. Why Rediscover? - All our reservations staff have worked in Morocco (or visited extensively) and will be more than happy to offer advice and suggestions on any of our featured destinations, tours and properties. Prices - our prices are similar to or quite often cheaper than our internet competitors or booking directly and significantly cheaper than those producing expensive brochures whilst our service, knowledge and after sales care is second to none. Security - Rediscover the World is a member of the TTA (T6816), we also hold our own ATOL bond (T7172). We therefore provide full financial security and assistance should any part of your holiday not happen entirely to plan. If you were to assemble your holiday yourself you may not have this sort of protection.

Today, Essaouira is a much busier place than we remember back in the mid 1990s, there has been an explosion of riads and restaurants, although not all are up to the standards we have come to expect from Marrakech. In the centre there are two main streets, one through the Medina with shops (more like permanent market stalls) all along leading to the Bab Marrakech. Another smaller one which has a mixture of shops, restaurants and art galleries is for pedestrians only and leads from the square via the Maison du Sud.

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Thanks to the ocean breeze, Essaouira benefits from cool air. At the end of the morning, don't miss the colourful and lively spectacle of the return of the boats to the port, with their baskets full of fish. Grant yourself a rare pleasure: try the grilled sardines or taste a small lobster in the port. Their freshness is incomparable and the atmosphere forever engraved in your memory… Then, return to town through the Bab El Marsa gate.

The Sqala of the Kasbash, the artillery platform on the ramparts, offers from its north bastion an incomparable view across the medina, a UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site, over the port's Sqala and out over the ocean. Leave the old European canons and walk towards the casemates that lead to the street. Some of the Kingdom's most famous marquetry craftsmen and cabinet makers have founded their workshops there. They work on the wood of the sandarac tree and are deserving of your visit: their work is of a rare intricacy. You will easily find the object that will eternally symbolise Essaouira, once you return home. In the Moulay El Hassan square, you can enjoy the numerous and lively café terraces and restaurants. The old Jewish quarter, the mellah, is located in the north-eastern part of the old town. Its size shows that the Jewish community was very large in the 18th century and that the communities lived in harmony in Essaouira. The restoration of this quarter is one of the local priorities. The souk's alleyways lead you to Moulay El Hassan square and its cafés, whilst walking through the boutiques, in particular those of the famous cabinet-makers that work remarkably with the wood of the sandarac tree.

Essaouira's beach is a long ribbon of around ten kilometres bathed in surf. Its sheer size is surprising and its tranquillity is reassuring. There is an invigorating sensation from the ocean breeze as soon as you set foot on the immaculate sand. In the beautiful little port, which can be accessed through the Bab El Marsa gate, the return of the boats at the end of the morning is a daily event. The baskets are unloaded under the keen eyes of the dancing seagulls. Take the opportunity to try some freshly-caught grilled fish in a gargote. On the endless beach, let the ocean breeze awaken your senses and stimulate your energy.

The Sidi-Mohammed-Ben-Abdallah museum, close to the medina's Sqala, presents a remarkable collection of regional art works. Marquetry furniture, costumes, jewellery, rugs, a veritable "Ali Baba's cave"! There are also Arabo-Andalusian and Gnaoua musical instruments. The Gnaoua, descendents of African slaves, practice trance and faith healing whilst playing a syncopated music accompanied by singing and dancing. Essaouira has been host for over ten years to a very popular festival, which takes place at the start of summer (mid to end of June), and which promotes Gnaoua music whilst giving a wide opening to world music, jazz and blues.

Surrounding area: In the Souss valley, and only there, the argan tree grows, from which argan oil is harvested. In town, the women's cooperatives that run the sector market this renowned oil. Skin moisturising, anti-ageing: its properties have been proven. To familiarise yourself with another facet of the local crafts, visit Chbanate street, accessible from the Bab Marrakech bastion, and its weaving workshops producing wool blankets that can either be ecru or brightly coloured. Falcon island - a fifteen-minute boat ride will take you close to the two Mogador islands, which are a true link between the ocean and the continent, but you are not allowed to disembark: it is a protected bird sanctuary. It is possible to observe the flight of Eleonora's falcon. These islands, which were used by the Phoenicians as a stopover, housed a purple dye production workshop at the start of the Christian era.

Families: Children need only walk around the ramparts and sit on the old Sqala canons to feel like a filibuster or pirate. The town is safe and you can relax. On the beach, you will never lose sight of the members of your family. Donkey-back excursions are organised to discover the surrounding area at a slow pace. In the villages, your guides will introduce you to the craftsmen. In their company, the members of your family can try doing some pottery, learn to cook or make traditional Berber bread. An unforgettable experience! Discover the magical and enchanting music of the Gnaoua, their dances and their singing. Their universal rhythms will please both young and old. Visit the Sidi-Mohammed-Ben-Abdallah museum and its formidable collection of jewellery, costumes, rugs and marquetry furniture. For contemporary art, the Frédéric Damgaard gallery, in the town centre, gives a good idea of the talent of local artists. The reputation of some of these has for many years extended beyond the borders.

Activities: Surf, kitesurf and windsurf enthusiasts come from around the world to take advantage of the swell and surf of this region. Essaouira and Sidi-Kaouki are ideal beaches for beginners. Fishing fans will never come home empty handed with such abundant waters. Essaouira is the ideal base to discover this splendid region. Take a day trip or a longer excursion. On foot, on quad, on horseback - its up to you, everything is possible. You can also visit the argan forests on camel for an excursion lasting several days. At the lurching speed of the ship of the deserts, immerse yourself in the villages, take an initiation in pottery, bread baking or traditional cuisine.

Mogador - Eco-friendly resort: This is the ideal place for rest and enjoyment. The Mogador resort, nestled in 1,500 acres of forest along sand dunes, is like a lush green sea of vegetation plunging down into the ocean. To reach the four premium hotels or residential hamlets, go through the forest on the dry stone paths lit by an original, energy-efficient system. Nature is your friend throughout your holiday: the Jardins Filtrants® (filtering gardens) recycle the water used to irrigate the gardens and golf courses.

Ecological, user-friendly golf course: The ecological Mogador Golf Course is in a perfect natural setting, surrounded by dunes, forest and the Atlantic Ocean. With its two 18-hole courses designed by Gary Player, it is fast becoming the leader of its kind. But golf is not the only sport on offer at Mogador, you can also enjoy tennis, squash, kite surfing, windsurfing, horse-riding and of course hiking around the Souss plain. Argan trees grow in this region, providing precious argan oil... that you can sample in the spa. Relax with your mind at rest: a special club is on hand to look after your children.

The main square is a large open space surrounded on each side respectively by the harbour, town wall, sea wall and has one street leading into town with many restaurants, however, many of the newer restaurants are either near the sea wall and ramparts or along in the port, there is even a popular one right at the end of the harbour (Chez Sam) which has excellent Calamari. Although, we must admit, it is difficult to go wrong in Essaouira with fresh fish, there are many stalls in the harbour displaying the day's catch and an assistant who will gladly barbeque anything you require - seating is communal, just like the stalls in Marrakech's Djemma el Fna.

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Along the sea front south from the port is a very long promenade and a huge beach, there is windsurfing, kite surfing and horse riding on the beach, sometimes you can do camel rides also. When the beach eventually fades to a narrower strip it continues in front of a long stretch of dunes, accessible in places from the Agadir road. In the other direction the road climbs inland towrds a panoramic viewpoint of the town and coast before heading down on its long way to Marrakech.

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